The trees stand bare having shed the last vestiges of their multi-colored robes. The wind seems heavier laden with the cold from the North-Pole.. Uh-oh winter is fast approaching and soon it'll be time to send Dolfin off for Winter hibernation.
It's a clear blue sky, not a cloud in sight.. & temperatures touching the 20s.. Today seems to be the perfect day for Dolfin's swan song on the lake for the season! I can't wait to be onboard Dolfin again.. as we approach the Slip, she seems to be content swaying gently to the tune of the light waves in an otherwise calm lake.
With hardly any other boats around, middle of the lake seems to be a perfect spot for a picnic lunch.. Mmmmm.. Before we know it, the winter sun, picture-perfect views & the rhythmic rocking finds us happily Siesta'ing.
A test flight from a Pilatus plane flying overhead wakes us up. We sail along the Bürgenstock coast enjoying the last fall colors & the reflections. I find the time to take a few pictures before we reach Buochs Dock.
The happy ride behind us, it's now time to roll up the sleeves and prepare the boat for storage. We take the Sails out & fold individually, Detach & pack all ropes, Lower the Mast & tie down, pull out the motor.. and the list goes on & on.. Didn't realise there were hundreds of tiny parts & each had to be taken care of. I suddenly have greater respect for all sailors out there.
Finally it's time for Dolfin to be retrieved from the waters. Lukas paddles the boat under the crane. I pull myself up onto the side of the dock. Lukas & the crane operator arrange the slings and slowly Dolfin comes out of the water.. It's quite a sight.. She weighs 870Kgs!
Lukas backs up the trailer & after a few tries, they finally have Dolfin snugly sitting on the trailer. Whew!! The operator starts to unhook the Slings & realises that one of the Slings is caught between Dolfin & the trailer.. Here we go yet again. The sun is fast setting.. 15 mins later we finally have Dolfin seated perfectly on the trailer.
Now on to the part of securing Dolfin on the trailer. Ropes.. I'm learning the art of sailing knots. Men, I think are naturals when it comes to ropes.. Me?? Well it'll take a few more seasons before i get the hang of it. Anyways not on my list of Top 5 yet..
By now it's too late to drive Dolfin over. So we decide to park it for the night & continue the journey next morning (Morgen!)
Ofcourse it rains through the night & it's a grey rainy morning as we begin our long drive to Stefan's garage in Altnau. There are traffic jams (Stau) due to a number of multi car accidents along the way. Lukas decides to take the scenic route -- As we zig-zag our way up & down mountain passes and tight corners in tiny villages, we earn some eye-rolling looks from bystanders. It's Noon as we pull into Stefan's garage, a full 2 hours later than we expected.. All i can say.. What a Ride!!
Stefan recounts his sailing experience along the Norwegian coast this Summer. 6 weeks - 1 tiny wooden sailboat - the Norwegian sea, 10 foot waves, thunderstorms, light houses... we have to wait for the entire story. He's hosting a Slideshow & Norwegian dinner on 13th February.
Until then.. we bid Goodbye to Dolfin & start our drive back home, a lot lighter in the car but heavier in the Heart!!
